Britain's Prince Harry, a veteran combat helicopter pilot, is meeting with military vets competing in the Paralympic-style Warrior Games in Colorado.
Britain's Prince Harry, right, listens to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, center, at a reception at the Sanctuary Golf Course in Sedalia, Colo., on Friday, May 10, 2013.
(AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, Pool)
EnlargeColorado Springs and Sedalia, Colo.
Britain's Prince Harry is meeting with wounded service members competing in the Paralympic-style Warrior Games in Colorado.
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The veteran combat helicopter pilot, wearing brown camouflage and boots, chatted with individual athletes on the United Kingdom team in Colorado Springs on Saturday morning.
He plans to attend the opening ceremonies and watch volleyball. He'll also watch a cycling competition Sunday.
Harry has deployed to Afghanistan twice with the British Army, once as a forward air controller and once as a helicopter co-pilot and gunner.
A spokesman says he's attending the Colorado games because he believes the wounded deserve recognition.
The Warrior Games run through Thursday. About 260 athletes are expected.
On Friday, Britain's prince charmed dozens of dignitaries, British expatriates, students and military officers at a cocktail party welcoming him to Colorado and then joined the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" to Olympian Missy Franklin, who was celebrating her 18th birthday.
Harry went table-to-table for about an hour at the party at the Sanctuary Golf Club south of Denver. He asked Franklin, attending with her parents, for a rundown of her medals while he took some ribbing about the shrieking female fans who greeted his arrival in Washington from U.S. Reps. Cory Gardner and Mike Coffman.
At one table on the patio looking out over the rolling hills toward Pike's Peak, Harry said he was glad to see a group of Americans and Britons having Pimm's Cups, summery English drinks, together.
Deborah Read Fowler, a Briton living in Colorado, said the prince had obviously done his research about the company they all worked for.
"And he goes to Afghanistan. How can you not respect that?" she said.
His effect on the ladies was on display in a more muted way here.
Several men brought their 20-something daughters to the reception. And when Harry went over to meet members of the band, two members acknowledged they were too overwhelmed to really carry on a conversation.
University of Denver students Jenna Bainbridge of Castle Rock and Samantha Barrasso of Aurora said the prince jokingly asked them what performers they were better than.
"He's very charismatic. He obviously doesn't hide his personality. And he's handsome, so that doesn't hurt," Bainbridge said.
Prince Harry's visit is part of a week-long visit to the United States that will also include trips to parts of New Jersey damaged by Superstorm Sandy. He'll end his trip by playing in the Sentebale Polo Cup match in Greenwich, Conn..
Harry recently spent 20 weeks in Afghanistan as co-pilot gunner on an Apache attack helicopter and has been a big supporter of charities to help wounded service members.
He plans another outing with wounded military personnel later this year when he participates in the South Pole Allied Challenge. Teams from Britain, Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States will race 208 miles to the pole.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
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